Counterterrorism Measures and Civil Society: Changing the Will and Finding the Way

Please join the Human Rights Initiative for the launch of a new report: Counterterrorism Measures and Civil Society: Changing the Will and Finding the Way. To combat the global threat of terrorism, countries have passed and implemented numerous laws that inadvertently or intentionally diminished the space for civil society. States conflate terrorism with broader issues of national security, which is then used as a convenient justification to stifle dissent, including civil society actors that aim to hold governments accountable. As the global terror landscape becomes more complex and dire, attacks on the rights to the freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly only increase. This report analyzes the impact of counterterrorism efforts on civic space, examines its manifestations in various socioeconomic and political contexts, and explores various approaches to disentangle and reconcile security and civil society.

The launch event will feature a keynote speech by Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. The speech will be followed by an expert panel discussion on aligning security and civic space.